Welcome to Comparative Literature at Michigan!

The Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan is one of the oldest and best established centers for the study of comparative literature in the country. In existence since 1937, our program has become a magnet for innovative research and teaching, in graduate and undergraduate courses that encourage interdisciplinary and multilingual perspectives on literature and culture. The interests of our faculty and students encompass the most innovative areas of study in the humanities today. We hope you will find everything you want to know about us. Please contact us if you have additional questions regarding our programs.

We, the faculty of the Department of Comparative Literature, wish to assure our students, colleagues and staff that we remain committed to the ideal of fostering an inclusive environment. As educators, we stand against any form of intolerance and violations of the basic academic freedoms of our community.

Comparative Literature is a discipline that moves across the boundaries of languages, literatures, and cultures, and we support the free movement of people, words, and ideas. We oppose the stigmatization of immigration, and affirm our solidarity with our Muslim colleagues, students and community members. We fully endorse the statement issued by the Executive Committee of the American Comparative Literature Association.

As a department, we affirm our right to conduct our research and teach our students without ideological or political interference. Pursuit of the truth and dissemination of knowledge are our mandate as scholars and educators, and we reject any attempt to intimidate those whose aim is to advance human knowledge. We will honor our obligation to provide unprejudiced scholarship and education, and look for continued support of that mission.

Be a Victor

We strive to support our students and faculty on the front lines of learning and research; to steward our planet, our community, our campus. To do this, Comparative Literature needs you—because the world needs Victors.